Doncaster Rovers: I want my team to entertain - Ferguson

Paul Goodwin

Darren Ferguson has vowed to do his utmost to get Doncaster Rovers playing an entertaining and successful brand of football.

The 43-year-old Scot, who forged a reputation for attacking football during two spells with Peterborough United, was yesterday unveiled as Paul Dickov’s successor, bringing to an end Rovers’ five-and-a-half-week long search for a new manager.

Ferguson will have a watching brief against Bradford City today and will officially take over team affairs from interim boss Rob Jones on Sunday.

And when he does assume complete control, his players will be given a clear statement of intent.

“I like my teams to entertain,” said Ferguson.

“I want my players to be very free and to go and express themselves, especially at the top end of the pitch. That’s really important.

“It’s something that we’ll work on.

“It’s a clear stat that we do need to get more goals. We’ll try and find a way of doing that.

“Saying that, in the last two league games we’ve scored four goals.

“But there’s work to be done and clearly you’ve got to get your own identity into the team in terms of how you want to play.

“But it’ll be a clear statement from me in terms of wanting to entertain.

“The fans want to be entertained, there’s no question about that. They give up their money to come and watch, they want to be entertained.

“It’s our job to entertain them.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be 6-5 every week! But we want to get goals, entertain and play in a way I always have done with the teams that I’ve had.”

Rovers host Bradford today sat in 20th position in League One with two wins from their opening 11 games. So is the board’s target of a top-six finish still attainable?

“That’s the aim,” he said.

“Until I work day in, day out with the group of players that I’ve got, it’s a slightly difficult question to answer.

“But that is the clear aim - and I do feel League One is even more competitive this season than recent years.

“Sheffield United and Wigan have got big budgets but apart from that this could be anyone’s league this year.”

Gavin Strachan, who played and coached under Ferguson at Peterborough, has been appointed as assistant manager.